Lock & Key
by HelloThereBeautiful
Summary: It had taken only seven meetings for her to fall in love with a man who was not her husband. But then, it was all Sasuke's fault to begin with. AU. Modern.


**Disclaimer: The Naruto series is in no way my property. It is not my intention to infringe on any copyright**.

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><p><strong>Title:<strong> Lock & Key

**Author: **Absolute. Tranquillity.

**Beta: **Unbeta'd

**Pairings:** KakaSaku

**Genre: **Drama/Romance

**Word count: **5773

**Rating:** T

**Notes: **

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><p><strong>Lock &amp; Key<strong>

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><p><strong>PART I.<strong>

His deep, rhythmic breaths signalled his approach to sleep. His hand was no longer caressing her naked back, and for that, Sakura was grateful. His tender touch would only make her impending words harder to say aloud. She moved her head from his chest to look up at him, but found that his eyes were closed. She swallowed the lump in her throat before returning her head to its resting place. A nauseous feeling settled in the pit of her stomach when the clock downstairs started to chime. It was 2am and Sakura realised that if she was going to deliver the bad news to the sleeping man it had to be soon. It would be too difficult come the morning.

A small sigh left her lips. Looking up at the man once again, Sakura knew that she had fallen in love with him. It was laughable, really. Especially considering that this was only their seventh meeting. Well, eight if you counted their 'accidental' meeting at a coffee-shop on the outskirts of the city last month. Was it possible to fall in love with a man after only eight meetings? Sakura would not have believed it if she were not living it.

But she knew in her heart that her love was not to last. They were both married to different people, and Sakura knew the affair had to end. Well, technically speaking, what they had together was not an affair. Or was it? Were they really committing adultery if their respective partners knew about it and were doing the exact same thing?

"Kakashi, I need to tell you something..."

This was all Sasuke's fault. Their chance encounter was brought about her husbands need for adulterous sex. Yes, her affair began seven months ago to the day, but the events that led to the passionate relationship began long before that.

Sakura had begun dating Sasuke when they were both eighteen. They had met in university and soon became an item. It was a whirlwind romance, both were mesmerized by the excitement of the relationship. By the time they were both twenty-two, the couple had graduated from university and married that following summer. Of course, all parents involved had tried to talk the young couple of the hasty-wedding plans, but they refused to listen. To them, it was meant to be. They were in love and invincible. They were the only ones who did not see the inevitable end approaching, and after only four years of marriage their relationship was in tatters.

Both would admit that sex was a large factor in their relationship, and Sakura wondered if the too-great a role it played in their relationship was the reason for the decline. Their marriage had been peaceful for the first couple of years, as many marriages are. But the cracks started to show after those two years when Sakura started her career as a surgeon. Working in Tokyo General Hospital, Sakura was left drained most evenings and not in the mood for any bedroom activities. Of course, being from the Uchiha family, Sasuke was used to getting _whatever_ he wanted, _whenever_ he wanted.

And finally, two more years had passed and constant bickering and countless affairs had left a gaping hole in her heart that was once occupied by her love for Sasuke. Sakura had no choice but to stand idly by as -piece by piece- their relationship crumbled. She held onto the hope that they could rekindle their love, but knew it would never be realised. In her heart, she blamed herself for the breakdown of their marriage by working hundred-hour weeks at the hospital. Even though her friends had tried to reason with her, she still thought herself the cause.

And then one evening at dinner, as they both sat in silence and ate, Sasuke mentioned that they had been invited to a party. Sakura merely nodded. As the wife of an Uchiha, she was accustomed to attending all different kinds of events. It was second nature to her now to dress up and put on an act for all those in attendance.

"_It's not an Uchiha Corporation event. It's a private event_," he had said quietly, his eyes never leaving his dinner plate. Again Sakura nodded, but this time she managed to ask the details of the party so as not to seem too disinterested. His obvious apprehension to relay the information she had requested startled her. He looked nervous. Nervous enough to make Sakura put down her cutlery and look at him properly for the first time that evening.

And moments later, Sasuke told her about Jiraiya's _parties_.

Sakura could clearly remember the heavy weight that settled in her gut, and the acidic feeling that rose from her stomach, threatening to make its way up her oesophagus. For a few moments the pink-haired woman could not believe what her husband was suggesting. Sakura knew that her husband had other women, but to suggest they attend such a seedy and humiliating _sex party...!_ Sasuke had gone too far. Immediately Sakura stood from her dining chair and left the house they shared together without so much as a single glance in her husband's direction.

She had stayed at her friend Ino's home that evening, and it was the blonde woman who finally coaxed the truth from the pretty doctors' lips. For all his faults, and as much as he hurt her on a weekly-basis, Sakura was in love with him. Foolish, maybe, but true. Ino had laid out two options for her that evening. Sakura could either talk to her husband in the hope that he would reconsider his proposition, or she could go along with his request. _"Even this sounds too far for Sasuke to stoop, how do you know he won't reconsider as soon as he sees what really goes on at these things?"_

And soon, Sakura found herself allying with option two. Ino was right. They would enter Jiraiya's home, and almost immediately, Sasuke would take her home and beg for forgiveness. _Hopefully..._

But of course, Sasuke had not changed his mind upon entering. In fact, he had all but abandoned her straight away, leaving Sakura to her own devices for the evening. Even her deep breaths couldn't calm Sakura on that first night at Jiraiya's home. She was practically terrified walking around the estate, she even had to retreat to the bathroom once or twice to soothe her erratic heartbeat.

It wasn't the lack of opportunity that prevented Sakura from socialising that night, by all means, she knew plenty of the people in the room that evening. And that was what made her feel so awkward. She felt suffocated by the looks she would receive. They would know what sort of marriage she had. It disgusted her. And each time she thought about it -which was often- she felt herself turning to leave. To run and leave Sasuke and his infidelity behind her. But something stopped her. Something she wouldn't understand or know for as long as she lived.

It was shortly after one of those panic attacks that Sakura felt a presence behind her. Taking a casual glance around her, she spotted an older gentlemen standing almost beside her. She ignored him and carried on watching the party from her spot in the doorway.

She sipped red wine from a glass in her hand, breathing calmly and waiting for time to pass so that she could leave. As soon as she saw Sasuke, she was telling him to bring her home. _And maybe punching him_. She hadn't decided yet. But she was having a difficult time locating her husband between the crowds of people occupying the large living space.

The gentlemen beside her sighed dramatically, as if he had been having an argument with someone. Curious, she turned her head to look at him. A pink eyebrow raised when she caught his gaze. He blushed slightly and raised a hand to scratch the back of his head. He laughed nervously before extending a hand towards her. "Kakashi," he offered with a cheer to his voice.

She perused his hand for a moment, wondering whether to bother replying to his greeting. She had already promised herself she wouldn't be back there. It was only a matter of finding Sasuke and dragging him from this place so that she could scream at him until she left considerably less stressed and humiliated than she did at that moment.

The man beside her shuffled uncomfortably, and out of nothing more than courtesy Sakura latched onto his hand. "I'm Sakura."

He grinned at her, something she wasn't used to. Sasuke never smiled, grinned or anything like that. He smirked. An annoying habit, really. Kakashi took back his limb and stuck it into his suit pocket. "You here with your husband?" she heard him mumble beside her during a lull in the music.

Sakura crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling exposed. Nevertheless, she offered the man a small smile and nodded once. "And you?" she asked swiftly afterwards, hoping to avoid an awkward silence.

"Nah, I'm straight."

A large grin spread on the doctor's face and she let go of the small laugh that made its way from her mouth. "That wasn't what I meant."

"I know."

She stifled her laugh, before turning to look at the man beside her. It was the first time she really saw Kakashi. He looked mature, but youthful, probably due to the silver hair. He was attractive in a rugged sort of way. He appeared to suffer from Heterochromia, as one of his eyes was grey in colour whilst the other had a dark-red hue. It was interesting to look at from a doctor's point of view, she had never seen the condition first hand.

Realizing she had spent an inappropriate amount of time studying the man beside her, Sakura quickly turned and took another sip from her glass.

For the life of her, Sakura could not remember what they had talked about, but Kakashi stayed by her side for the remainder of that evening. It was only when the music stopped playing and people started to disappear that Sakura realised what was going on. The party was over, and that meant...

Her heart sped up, and suddenly she felt like Cinderella. She had spent too much time talking with that man. She had to find Sasuke and get out of there. But there was one problem... Sasuke was nowhere to be seen. Sakura couldn't help but panic and she didn't know why. It's not like she was going to be forced into anything. It was a free country and she could leave Jiraiya's home whenever she wanted. But still...

"Are you okay?" she heard Kakashi ask quietly from beside her.

"I'm fine," she snapped far too quickly. She was too busy trying to control her rising heartbeat. She felt fingertips wrapping loosely around her wrist. She looked up to find Kakashi standing closer to her than before.

"This is your first time here, isn't it?"

Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat, and tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. She nodded once as the older man watched her carefully with a thoughtful look on his face. His mouth was now a harsh line; he was planning something.

Sakura was lost in thought, still searching the room for her husband when she felt something cool and metallic pressed against her palm. She jumped slightly from the sharp coldness of the object. She looked down to find that Kakashi was handing her a set of keys. _His keys_, to be precise. Her brow furrowed in confusion, but she didn't have time to question him. "Take these," he spoke in a hushed tone. "If anyone asks, you took them earlier."

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><p>He had brought her back to his home that evening, and practically dragged the truth about her troubled marriage out of her over a dinner he had prepared. She felt relieved to be able to talk to another about her woes. It wasn't the same as talking to one of her girlfriends, Kakashi was an impartial party. He hadn't grown up with Sasuke unlike most of her friends. He listened to what she had to say and didn't push her when she couldn't find the words she wanted.<p>

When she had finished her rendition of the history of her marriage, Kakashi asked only one question. And it was one Sakura had extreme difficulty in answering. _Did she love him?_ Obviously the woman loved her husband. Would she agree to such preposterous measures to save her marriage if she had not? That one question in turn led to several more and each seemed more absurd than the first? Could she live with key-parties and mistresses for the rest of her life? Did he love her if he had to satisfy himself with other women? And if so, did he deserve her love?

Sakura decided that Kakashi's home was not the place to mull over such questions. She would have to dedicate some time soon to figuring out her future, whether that involved Sasuke or not.

She offered Kakashi a small smile and shook her previous grievous thoughts off. She decided to switch positions, and instead took to asking Kakashi all of the questions he had posed to her. She quickly found that he too was in a rocky relationship. His wife had signed them up for one of Jiraiya's parties without so much as consulting him. Kakashi was a lazy person, and didn't see the point of arguing. _"And hey, I like sex,"_ he had joked, holding his hands up in defeat. He attended the parties with his wife for her benefit mostly, and more often than not, he left alone. His sudden admission of feeling no love for his partner shocked Sakura.

"Why stay with her if you don't love her?"

It took some time for him to reply, and during his emission not once did his gaze meet hers. He focused on the wine glass in front of him. "Twelve years ago, her lover and I were working a murder case. I left to go home early, totally abandoning him. Sometime after, the murderer returned to the crime scene and my partner was shot. I received a call soon after. A neighbour had heard the shots and called the cops. I got there before he died..."

"Kakashi, you don't have to-"

"He asked me to make sure she was happy..."

"You married her out of a sense of duty?"

"Something like that. I guess I loved her once."

Sakura was lost for words after his small admission, and could not continue their conversation. Luckily, he sensed her discomfort and quickly led her to his spare room upstairs. She thanked him and retreated quickly inside the room, satisfied that she had experienced the most intense -and yet most exciting- evening of her life.

The month that followed was strange for Sakura. Sasuke had been unusually attentive, spending more time with her and remembering her birthday without needing to be reminded the day before. For a while, Sakura had believed what Ino said to be true. She though that perhaps Jiraiya's party had shown Sasuke what he had all along; made him realise that he didn't need other women in his life.

Sakura found that she didn't need to answer the questions that Kakashi had evoked that night at his place. Well, more she didn't want to answer them. Sasuke was playing the perfect husband and Sakura was happy to go along with her new-found marital bliss. It was something she had not connected with in years.

So it was no surprise to Sakura that she felt a fool when Sasuke returned home from work one evening and grumbled about her not being ready for Jiraiya's event that evening. He headed straight for the shower, calling on her only once, to ask as to the whereabouts of his favourite blue shirt.

Begrudgingly, Sakura had gone along with her husband. But she made sure he knew just how unhappy she was. She ignored him as she readied herself for the occasion and even went as far as to 'accidentally' spill moisturiser all over the blue shirt she had pulled from Sasuke's wardrobe. It was hardly unexpected that once they arrived at the country estate Sasuke abandoned her once more. He disappeared into the large living space, seemingly vanishing behind one of the couples in attendance.

She must have radiated fury that evening, because when Kakashi found her he asked, "Is it safe to be around you this evening?"

She grunted in annoyance, proceeding to explain to the man that Jiraiya's home was not the place to get into that conversation. Kakashi had just solution, swinging a set of keys around on his index finger. He gave her a small wink before stepping slowly away from her and coaxing her to follow his steps. With only a small giggle and a roll of her eyes, Sakura _did _follow.

Unlike their first evening together, Sakura felt no qualms in berating her husband in front of this stranger. Any flaw Sasuke had was openly discussed and used as a weapon against him. She ranted and raved for what seemed like hours, and all the silver-haired man did was pour more wine and offer words of affirmation.

"We should have sex," Sakura said suddenly, shocked that the thought had only crossed her mind then. She had just finished her rant, and had consumed more than a few glasses of the red-wine Kakashi had uncorked earlier in the evening. Said man simply laughed and grabbed the wine bottle to pour more of the crimson liquid into his glass. "I'm serious Kakashi." Sakura stood from her chair, which was directly beside his and held out her hand. "Come on." Kakashi looked up at her as if she had grown two-heads. Sakura knew that her proposal was hardly enticing and did not sound sexy in the least, but she was offering it to him; and who was he to say no?

When he made no move, Sakura reached down and grabbed his hand yanking him up onto his feet.

"Sakura, this isn't a good idea." He stood beside her then, with a look of uncertainty in his eyes. Sakura could tell he was doing his best to hold himself back, but as grateful as she was for his respectfulness, he still wasn't giving her what she really wanted.

"Kakashi, my husband is out there screwing some other woman at this exact moment." Sakura made her voice as small as she possibly could as she leaned closer into the man before her. She evened her breathing and moved one of her hands to rest on his chest. "Your wife if probably doing the same thing. Why don't we?"

"Because," he said, grabbing her hand and removing it from his chest. "You only want to have sex to get back at your husband."

"And?" she said quickly, not missing a beat.

For the longest moment the two stared at each other. Sakura had given up trying to look coy and sexy, and settled instead, for a harsh glare. But it wasn't enough to deter the older man, because soon, his lips were ghosting over hers and his arms wrapped around her in a heated embrace. His lips found hers in slow, soft kisses as he pulled her further into him. She couldn't help smirking wider when she felt Kakashi's manhood stiffen against her. He pulled away from her lips and set his attentions on her jawline, kissing as he travelled across to her earlobe. He gave a small bite to the lobe, but when she cried out in pain he kissed it and travelled back down her neck instead.

Sakura moaned but found the will to pull away from him. The man looked confused for a moment, but he soon relaxed when Sakura took his hand and led him from the kitchen.

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><p>He dropped her home the following afternoon. Sakura flashed him a smile and bid him farewell before getting out of the car. She threw her keys on the side-table as she passed through the hallway into her living room. She had made a mistake last night, but it was not by having sex with Kakashi. She told both herself and Kakashi that they had sex simply to ease her frustrations with her husband and to get back at him. But as she broke out into a small, upbeat hum- Sakura realised that Sasuke had not crossed her mind once.<p>

The following month, it was she who reminded Sasuke of Jiraiya's key-party.

For five months, it became their ritual to meet at Jiraiya's party and leave together. Both stayed with their respective partners and Sakura continued to question her relationship with Sasuke, but never doing anything to combat the situation. They had become more like acquaintances over those few months. Sasuke worked hard to prove himself to his family and was hardly ever home. Sakura in turn spent long hours at the hospital to avoid awkward silences at home. Soon key-parties became their only shared interest. At first, it was hard to accept, but Sakura soon realised that her marriage was ending.

At the same time, her feelings for Kakashi had begun to grow and blossom. Soon, he was all she thought about and dreamt about. She found herself looking forward to the end of the month when she could see him again. When they would make love, and the pinkette would, _for one night_, forget about her husband and his family. On the 20th day of each month, _he_ was all that mattered.

A week after their sixth evening together, he had turned up at her front door. Seeing him in his casual clothes (and not his suit), standing on her doorstep made her heart catch in her throat and it was not from fear of being caught. He invited her out for coffee, even driving an hour to a café outside the city just so they could spend time together without worrying. It was around then... _exactly then_ that Sakura realised she had fallen in love with him. Sex may have ignited her feelings for the man, but coffee and a private date away from prying eyes had solidified them.

They said their goodbyes outside that café and Sakura took a cab home. She could still feel his tender kiss on her cheek hours after their exchange.

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><p>For the following weeks, Sakura felt as if she was floating, the feeling of being in love felt almost foreign to her. Had she really felt like this with her husband all those years ago? If she did, she certainely did not remember. Sakura simply smiled and made plans to tell Kakashi of her feelings for him when next they met. She knew he would feel the same.<p>

And then, after months of blood, sweat and tears on Sasuke's part, he was offered a position within Uchiha Corp. to work with his older brother and cousin. He had returned home ecstatic and Sakura had tried her best to sound excited for him, even offering him a congratulatory kiss on his cheek. He wasted no time in laying out his intentions. He had taken her hand and asked her to move with him to Osaka the following month. He spoke of renewed vows and counselling sessions and even children. Sakura had found it difficult to breath, something Sasuke thought of as a sign of happiness. He hugged her tightly before disappearing to call his mother with the good news.

Once again, Sasuke had reduced Sakura to tears, and as she tried to collect herself before speaking with her mother-in-law, Sakura thought of no one but Kakashi.

She had tried to tell Sasuke the truth, that she had fallen in love with another man, but her window of opportunity was limited. Before she could even register what had happened her husband had disappeared; and before she could give chase and confess her feelings, he had thrust the phone in her direction, her mother-in-law on the other end. The older woman had squealed in delight, and Sakura could only identify the words 'grandchildren' and 'neighbours' amongst the string of words coming through the telephone line.

As the evening progressed, Sakura found it was becoming harder and harder to tell Sasuke the truth. He looked happier than he had in months, and spent the evening speaking with his relatives.

Had he not offered her everything she had always wanted? Fidelity, children, family? When he kissed her lightly and thanked her, Sakura swallowed her words and smiled back at her husband.

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><p>Just as fast as she had conjured the memories, she let them fade away. Sakura continued to watch the dozing silver-haired man beside her, painfully aware that this was their last evening together.<p>

"Go ahead," he said quietly, his voice low and full of sleep. "You said you needed to talk to me."

It was Sasuke who suggested one last Key-Party before they left for Osaka. He wanted to say goodbye to the friends he had met there as well as some of his business partners. Sakura didn't believe a word of it, but was grateful for one last evening with Kakashi.

He stirred beside her and propped himself up on his elbow. "Sakura?"

Her eyes widened a fraction, realising that the moment had arrived. She had to make it quick to avoid injuring his feelings too much, or her own for that matter. She sat up and the sheets that covered her pooled around her waist. Her naked flesh was exposed, but she felt comfortable enough in his presence to leave them be. She wasn't sure _how _to tell Kakashi that she was leaving Tokyo and that this would in fact be their last meeting, but finally decided it was best to just say it.

Her eyes fell to watch her fidgeting hands. "Sasuke was offered a job in Osaka, with his family. It's a great opportunity..."

"Sakura-"

"We've hired a top-notch marriage counsellor-"

"Sakura-"

"And we're thinking of-"

"Stop," he called finally, his voice only a whisper. He sighed deeply, and collapsed back onto his back. He covered his face with his hands and Sakura could only watch as the man beside her took in the news. She had expected him to be shocked, disappointed even, but he seemed...

"Kakashi, say something."

His hands didn't leave his face, so his words sounded muffled. "Your marriage-counsellor won't stop Sasuke wanting to fuck other women."

His words stung, and Sakura felt like she had just been smacked across the face. She had not expected Kakashi to wish her luck or congratulate her, but he could have at least tried to understand her situation. Surely if he cared for her like he claimed too, he would have given her that. For the first time since she had started this affair, Sakura felt seedy and dirty. Tears threatened to fall freely down her cheeks but she refused to let him see her cry. She pushed the sheets from her body and left his bed in search of her clothes.

She heard what sounded like a chuckle soon after, but was too busy trying to pull her dress down over her body to look in his direction. Picking up one shoe, she slipped it on before walking across the dark room to grab the other. En route, her calve scrapped against a cardboard box, eliciting a small hiss from the pink-haired woman. She grabbed the nearby footwear and slipped it on her foot.

She had taken only a couple of steps, when a thought struck her. _Kakashi's wife had not been at the party. _Sakura had seen the black-haired woman at Jiraiya's home on all occasions, except that night. Kakashi himself had arrived late that evening, and for a while Sakura began to think he wasn't going to appear.

She turned back to the cardboard box and immediately dug into it. It was full of women's clothes. Alarmed, she stood up and opened the nearby wardrobe to find that it was half empty. "Where is your wife?"

Kakashi sighed again, not moving from his position on the bed. "Gone."

"She left you?"

"Actually," he said quietly and sat up to face her. "I was the one who initiated the divorce."

Sakura couldn't help the choked sob that left her throat. It sounded pathetic and she wished she could take it back. He was divorcing his wife. _For her? Could he really..._

It had taken that single second for Sakura to realise what a fool she was. Kakashi had left his wife of ten years, yet she could not pluck up the courage to end her obviously-dead marriage. And why not? Her in-laws? Her own parents? It was ludicrous, and when she felt the emotion rising in her chest, Sakura burst into a fit of laughter. It was enough to rouse the grey-haired man's attention. He stared at her with a look of confusion.

Sakura stumbled from the wardrobe to sit on the end of the bed. She was lost for words. Her marriage had been over for months, _years_, but she had refused to accept the inevitable. And it had taken something as stupid as another woman's belongings packed away to help her realise it. That should have been her packing her things. That should have been her cardboard box at the end of the room overflowing with her belongings. Another strangled cry erupted from her throat but it soon became a small laugh.

"Sakura, I don't understand why you are laughing."

"Me neither," she said softly as tears fell from her eyes. But she was smiling. She felt infinitely better when Kakashi scooted down the bed to sit beside her. He wrapped an arm around her waist, and Sakura rested her wet cheek on his collarbone.

"I had planned to tell you that I loved you this evening, before..."

"Before you received a better offer from Sasuke?" She laughed softly and closed her eyes. She felt comforted when his chin rested atop her head.

"After our coffee-shop date a couple weeks ago, I came home and told Anko that I had fallen in love with another woman. I started divorce proceedings soon after."

Sakura relaxed into his embrace. "How did she take it?"

"Oh, you know. She threw things at me, the usual things wives do when they find out about infidelity."

Sakura could not help but feel to blame. Sure, Kakashi had told her early on in their relationship that he did not love his wife. But he was divorcing that wife _for her. _And then almost as if a light had been shone in her eyes, Sakura came to a conclusion. Kakashi was right. Her marriage was over; she and Sasuke were no longer in love. She and Kakashi however...

Sakura felt more relieved than she ever had in her life. It was like a weight had been lifted off her back. And for the life of her, Sakura couldn't comprehend why she hadn't reached the same conclusion earlier. Moving to a new city would not improve her marriage, neither would having children with a man who obviously didn't respect or care for her. And Kakashi was correct in saying that a marriage counsellor would not solve their problems.

She wasn't sure how the following day would play out, but she was adamant that Sasuke would be made a part of her past. He would be upset, _angry,_ but he would thank her in the long-run. Besides he got to escape. He was offered a new job in a new city with his loved ones. Sakura would be the one staying behind to face all of their friends and acquaintances. She would be blamed for ending the marriage, even if it was not her who initiated that end.

"So, what now?" he asked suddenly. His voice was low as he stroked her back and Sakura could feel herself falling asleep.

"I'm leaving him," she was not prepared for the feeling that settled over as she mumbled those words into her lover's shoulder. It was anxiousness, or was it - _excitement_? "Oh my god, I'm leaving him." She felt Kakashi chuckle softly beneath her and kiss the back of her head.

She pulled herself from and looked deep into his eyes. "Will you be with me after I..."

He pulled her into a kiss and whispered against her lips. "Every step." Sakura smiled as moisture leaked down her cheeks once more. She was happy. For the first time in what seemed like a decade, Sakura was full of pure happiness. And it was because of him.

The doctor kicked off the shoes she had just placed on her feet and Kakashi moved back up the bed. She pulled her dress over her head and soon found herself crawling into his embrace. Sakura hummed in contentment as his arms encircled her and his fingers caressed her back once more.

"Will you come with me tomorrow?" she asked quietly after a few minutes had passed. It was beginning to grow brighter outside and Sakura was becoming nervous for the day ahead. In response, Kakashi placed a kiss on her temple.

"Of course I will. I love you afterall."

Sakura felt herself drifting off to sleep, but before she succumbed she pulled the wedding ring she wore from her finger. She didn't think twice before throwing it into the cardboard box at the other end of the room.

"I love you too."

**END OF PART I.**

**Thanks for reading. x**


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